A Memory I will take to my Grave
Heroes Remembers - Liberation of the Netherlands
A Memory I will take to my Grave
Transcript
As years went by I have never had anything
that meant more to me in life than
the evening of that New Year’s, 1944,
that would be ’45 coming that night.
Because the Germans were running all away
loose around there dressed up as
American officers or Canadians and that,
everybody was out on points but
in the meantime we had given
the nuns this church, the food and that and
we went in there and had the meal and
that and at the altar back up,
you know where the altar was,
there was twelve nurses or nuns as you would
call them and they were singing Christmas carols.
And, of course, really the feeling
of it made me really,
it’s hard to explain but I was brought
up more or less in Sunday school and
that but with all the death and destruction
around to hear that at Christmas time
so beautifully singing,
it’s out of this world to me,
it was something to hang on to
through the rest of the world and
to me in the whole life in the army
that’s my best memory and
I will have it until I go to my grave.
Description
Of all life’s wonderful experiences, Mr. Sommerville shares a celebration New Year’s Eve, 1944 where the singing of Christmas carols by the local nuns was an inspiration never to be forgotten.
Meta Data
- Medium:
- Video
- Owner:
- Veterans Affairs Canada
- Recorded:
- May 6, 2015
- Duration:
- 1:39
- Person Interviewed:
- Donald Sommerville
- War, Conflict or Mission:
- Second World War
- Location/Theatre:
- Holland/Netherlands
- Battle/Campaign:
- Liberation of Holland
- Branch:
- Army
- Units/Ship:
- Candian Royal Corps of Engineers, Electricians and Mechanics, 2nd Tank Troop Workshop
- Date modified: